Website TMZ has published an email (dated May 4) from Bay to executives, among them CEO Brad Grey and Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, in which the director blasts the studio for not spending enough money publicising the robot sequel's summer release.

"I have been waiting and waiting for the 'anticipation' of an 'event movie' to make it into the 'public zeitgeist'," Bay wrote. "You all talk so glowingly about Transformers being the movie of the summer but unfortunately this has not gotten to the public. I still run into so many people even this weekend with kids that ask 'is that movie coming out this year'."

He continued: "Right now we are not an event. We are just a sequel, which is very different. There is no anticipation. Remember back to Spider-Man 2 - it was everywhere."

Bay also criticised the print campaign for the action film, calling it an "abject failure". He described Entertainment Weekly's coverage as "really weak" and the Los Angels Times's preview as "pathetic".

The filmmaker added that Paramount risked getting "bitten in the ass" by not turning the release into an "event" for cinema-goers.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen is showing in UK cinemas now and is released in the US on Friday.